Brit tourist hires Lambo in Dubai racks up £35k fines in 4hr

[Horsey McHorseface]

The rental company is now holding the tourist's passport to stop him fleeing
The tourist could face jail because failing to pay debts is criminal in Dubai

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6031755/Br...

Or is this a publicity stunt by the rental company?


edit: DM article update Thurs 9th Aug: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6041683/Br...

Edited by Horsey McHorseface on Thursday 9th August 20:55

[Atomic12C]

Why would a tourist be happy to leave his/her passport with a rental company ?
A deposit and passport details maybe, but no way would I leave my actual passport behind with them.

[S11Steve]

Hypercar rental on Groupon? https://www.groupon.ae/deals/saeed-ali-rent-a-car-...

"Owner Faris Mohammed Iqbal, 26, said the tourist had rented the car on July 30, paid two-day fees of £1,200, leaving his passport as guarantee"
"Owned" by a 26 year old? In the same way that Aleem "Owns" Platinum?

I'm not convinced.

[bad company]

S11Steve said:

Hypercar rental on Groupon? https://www.groupon.ae/deals/saeed-ali-rent-a-car-...

"Owner Faris Mohammed Iqbal, 26, said the tourist had rented the car on July 30, paid two-day fees of £1,200, leaving his passport as guarantee"
"Owned" by a 26 year old? In the same way that Aleem "Owns" Platinum?

I'm not convinced.

Agree, it all sounds very weird.

What’s to stop the hirer reporting his passport lost, get a replacement and legging it?

[cptsideways]

The rules on debts are very different over there!

[bad company]

cptsideways said:

The rules on debts are very different over there!

Even more reason for the hirer to get out of town (country in this case).

[TorqueVR]

bad company said:

Even more reason for the hirer to get out of town (country in this case).

That's appalling. When we get rich middle easterners come to London and rack up speeding and parking fines we are quite justifiably outraged, especially if they bugger off home leaving them unpaid. The Brit tourist is a complete idiot and deserves all that'sd coming to him.

[tribalsurfer]

Might have missed the point, but it says the business (hire company) is liable should the tourist refuse to pay. So admittedly bit of an issue with the passport, but, return the car, say you won't pay and you get off scot free. All seems a bit strange.

[Burwood]

It’s all fake BS. So the story is, paid for 2 days but the tickets have come through in the post and the media had time to write the article. And the tourist still has the car, 10 days later.

[esxste]

Burwood said:

It’s all fake BS. So the story is, paid for 2 days but the tickets have come through in the post and the media had time to write the article. And the tourist still has the car, 10 days later.

This.

Usually you hear about these things months after they happen. Not while the dude still has the car!

[SpeckledJim]

esxste said:

Burwood said:

It’s all fake BS. So the story is, paid for 2 days but the tickets have come through in the post and the media had time to write the article. And the tourist still has the car, 10 days later.

This.

Usually you hear about these things months after they happen. Not while the dude still has the car!

The hire firm have said that if they get the car back, the customer gets away with the fines. So they won't collect the car.

[Burwood]

SpeckledJim said:

esxste said:

Burwood said:

It’s all fake BS. So the story is, paid for 2 days but the tickets have come through in the post and the media had time to write the article. And the tourist still has the car, 10 days later.

This.

Usually you hear about these things months after they happen. Not while the dude still has the car!

The hire firm have said that if they get the car back, the customer gets away with the fines. So they won't collect the car.

Yeah, and the guy who hired it isn’t trying to deliver it back and get his passport? Since when do hire companies not take credit cards. Cash and his PP. utter rubbish

[alfaman]

tribalsurfer said:

Might have missed the point, but it says the business (hire company) is liable should the tourist refuse to pay. So admittedly bit of an issue with the passport, but, return the car, say you won't pay and you get off scot free. All seems a bit strange.

Except he could get stopped at the airport. And rental biz could just contact embassy stating driver has not lost passport. I doubt the Dubai police would let this go. (If story is true) . They are generally quite strict - I’ve been in the Gulf for past year ... Bahrain has a bit more flexibility than Dubai apparently - and with ME Police kinda depends where you’re from (nationality and ‘heritage’) .

[Burwood]

SpeckledJim said:

esxste said:

Burwood said:

It’s all fake BS. So the story is, paid for 2 days but the tickets have come through in the post and the media had time to write the article. And the tourist still has the car, 10 days later.

This.

Usually you hear about these things months after they happen. Not while the dude still has the car!

The hire firm have said that if they get the car back, the customer gets away with the fines. So they won't collect the car.

Yeah, and the guy who hired it isn’t trying to deliver it back and get his passport? Since when do hire companies not take credit cards. Cash and his PP. utter rubbish

[Sunny in Dubai]

It is usual for visitors to leave passports in case they break the law and I can confirm to passing two cameras, on SZR, at 130kph in error instead of 120kph at 8am in the morning and had the sms from Dubai Police with the fine on my license car registration all within 2 hours.

[Burwood]

Sunny in Dubai said:

It is usual for visitors to leave passports in case they break the law and I can confirm to passing two cameras, on SZR, at 130kph in error instead of 120kph at 8am in the morning and had the sms from Dubai Police with the fine on my license car registration all within 2 hours.

The story smacks of promotion of his car rental company. So the company spent days talking to the media rather than talk to their customer. They know where he is.

[Burwood]

The highest camera fine is £600, 3k D. Court required thereafter. Exceeding 80 over posted limit. How do we arrive at 36k. 60 tickets? Okaaaaaaay

[mcflurry]

Sunny in Dubai said:

It is usual for visitors to leave passports in case they break the law and I can confirm to passing two cameras, on SZR, at 130kph in error instead of 120kph at 8am in the morning and had the sms from Dubai Police with the fine on my license car registration all within 2 hours.

I thought the tolerance was +20km/h before fines started kicking in, and then it was only AED600 for up to 150 in a 120 km/h zone?

[JerryDXB]

Burwood said:

The highest camera fine is £600, 3k D. Court required thereafter. Exceeding 80 over posted limit. How do we arrive at 36k. 60 tickets? Okaaaaaaay

From the local news service which originally ran the story here ... “The fines amounted to Dh70,000 for the 33 offences caught by radar and Dh100,520 to retrieve the car from the police pound.”

[JerryDXB]

mcflurry said:

I thought the tolerance was +20km/h before fines started kicking in, and then it was only AED600 for up to 150 in a 120 km/h zone?

Yes, there’s usually 20 kph tollerance. 600 AED is the starting point for fines and they ramp upwards depending on the speed. The National article stated in excess of 200 kph for some of them and it will start to get expensive at that point.